Yarn Along

I'm finished the sleeves and on the home straight now with my Sweet Peasy, but not after a knitting emergency at the weekend.  I purchased two balls of this lush wool when I was last in Ireland, checking rigorously that they came from the same dyelot.  So I was nothing less then horrified when on Saturday afternoon in the knitting light of day I discovered that there is a shocking difference in the depth of blue in each of the two balls. Having attached the second ball to knit sleeve one I realised that there was no way these balls could be from the same dye lot.  Anyway I have now put things in perspective.  This is after all a cardigan for a seven year old to wear to school. I have done my best to swap balls here and there and create a symmetry in the colour changes on the sleeves. I consulted with a knitting friend and  it will be fine, or so I keep reassuring myself.

I'm perusing vegan cookbooks this week looking for inspiration, and not being very inspired really.  {start rant} I do not want to eat soy cream cheese made with hydrogenated vegetable oil.  It kills me the way these books throw around vegan pastrami and vegan cheese as ingredients like they are real food.  They are not real food. {end rant} If anyone can recommend a vegan cookbook that does not use substitutes for non-vegan food, such as cheese and meat I would love to hear about it.

Happy Knitting!

Yarn Along

Gee, the week ticks along quickly.  I am working away on my Sweet Peasy. On the 3.5mms its slow, but enjoyable going. I'm just doing a couple or rows in the evenings before bed, because the lace is impossible (for me) if the kids are around!  You know,  k2, yo whats that, you need your bum wiped, ok ....... 3 hours later, right, where was I?

I've finished the lace section now, so no more thinking required. Just plain and purl all the way.  I'm knitting the sleeves on circulars using magic loop, cause I gave up seaming a while ago. Seaming is so 20th Century. Is it just me?  I just cant see myself knitting anything that needs seaming ever again.

I've been perusing this fab book that I won in a giveaway on The Red Thread. Craft books keep me quiet for hours, this one is aimed at kids, but I'm loving the pictures.

In the background are our newly sanded and oiled floor boards Troy just finished this room last week.  Can you believe that they have spent the last 20 or so years under 500mm of cement topped off with ceramic floor tiles?

Happy Yarn Along.

Crochet Rug

I had stashed all these scraps of orange/yellow fabric and some old cot sheets with plans of making a huge Gods Eye over the Summer.  A fun activity the girls could get into and something to attract the bees to the veggie patch.

Summer is nearly over and the pile of orange and yellow was still looking at me on Saturday begging to be used.  I  halfheartedly started cutting long strips of each colour and rolling them into balls. Then I started to think what a waste it would be to put these beautiful colours in the sun and the wind and the rain where they are bound to fade and eventually look tatty and sad. Then I started to think how beautiful they would look crochet into a massive floor rug for the kids room. Then I got really excited, and wished I'd been more careful cutting up the first sheet and I couldn't wait to find my massive crochet hook and start crocheting fabric strips.

Now I realise that I haven't got nearly enough fabric to make a massive floor rug! I'll have to go opshopping. Should I stick with the yellow/red/orange? Should I go rainbow? One more colour? Two? The possibilities are endless.

This made me laugh today.

And the one I say all the time to my kids . . . . "just wait till I finish this row" . . . .

Yarn Along

I hope I'm not cheating, but I'm reading my Frankie magazine this week.  It is an awesomely well put together magazine with fantastic writing and lots of eye candy (of the fashion/interiors/style/craft type) It accompanies me and my morning decaf soy latte perfectly ;)
I am knitting my daughter a Sweet Peasy in the most beautiful blue Malabrigo sock yarn. Its going to be divine.  I have enough of this in another colourway for a cardigan for me, which I am very excited about seeing how beautifully this is knitting up. So soft. It is without doubt my favorite yarn eva . .
Happy Yarn Along folks.

A mermaid.

A needle felted mermaid for the eldest girl.  For some reason she always get the sensible gifts, like puzzles and books and craft kits, while the younger older girl gets the beautiful fairies, necklaces and purses.  So as to make her feel equally girlie I made her this mermaid from some pipe cleaners and wool roving and felt.  She was a little effort but worth it! I'm thinking of adding some needle felted items to my shop in the coming weeks. * Noting from this picture, that mermaids probably shouldn't have sailors arms!